'Vast scope for PPP model in health, agri sector'

ATI DG inaugurates two-day workshop on Public Private Partnership-Issues and challenges, for various department officials

There is a general notion that public-private partnership model becomes successful only in some of the infrastructure development areas like road, airport and tourism, but in reality PPP model could be successful in other sectors like agriculture, energy, water supply too, said Administrative Training Institute (Mysore) Director General Dr Amita Prasad.

She was speaking after inaugurating a two-day workshop on ‘Public Private Partnership-Issues and challenges’ for various department officers, jointly organised by the Infrastructure Development Department and Administrative Training Institute (Mysore) at the council hall in Mangalore City Corporation on Friday. Stating that there is a large scope for taking up PPP model in the untouched areas including health and agriculture, she said new attempts should be made in the State to bring in PPP is these sectors. The 24X7 water supply scheme introduced in Hubli-Dharwad is one of the most successful water schemes in the country based on the PPP model.

Karnataka should take cues from states like Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh which are performing extremely well in the infrastructure development based on the PPP model.
Pointing at the scope of PPP in tourism, she said with Karnataka having lot of tourism potential, the infrastructure could be developed in tourism sector by joining hands with private partners. The share of PPP investments particularly in infrastructure has gone up over the years, from 24.5 per cent during 2002-2007 to 36 per cent during 2007-12 and it is expected to go up to 50 per cent by 2017.

According to the 12th Five Year Plan, the estimated investments in infrastructure development in the country is Rs 65 lakh crore and 48 per cent of the infrastructure is expected to be contributed from the private sector, she said.DC N Prakash felt the need for bureaucrats to go with an open mind to take up development based on PPP. The government mindset of the bureaucrat is not yet used to the PPP model. One must learn lessons from not only the successful PPP models like Bangalore International Airport, but must also learn lessons from the failed projects like NICE, the DC said.

Various sessions on enabling environment for PPPs, tourism infrastructure projects, financing infrastructure projects were held.